The Brazen Careerist

0 commentsI remember when I met my boss face to face for the first time. I'd been working with him for more than two years– via phone and e-mail. I had never seen him, but I had a general idea of what he...

0 commentsThe "brand of you" is over. Not that you've done a bad job of figuring out what you are. (You might have, but that's not the point.) Even if you've done a great job of defining yourself, the idea...

0 commentsThe worst performance review I ever received said, "You were great"– and it was delivered via e-mail! When I commented on its brevity to my boss, he said the "outrageous Internet salary" he...

0 commentsA meeting is a like a party. If you don't plan it carefully, you'll look incompetent and end up embarrassed.Forethought is necessary because most offices have individuals who love to undermine...

1 commentsDuring the Internet's go-go days in the late 1990s, I thought the term generalist meant "she's doing two jobs and pays herself double." Now it seems the word generalist means "good at nothing and...

0 comments"I'm qualified, so I know I'll get the job."This phrase may be the most naive statement in the annals of job hunting. First, you probably aren’t the only qualified person applying, and hiring...

0 commentsSome recruiters say that as many as one in five job hunters is guilty of resumé enhancement, or lying about their qualifications. Why isn't this news plastered on the front page of The Wall Street...

0 commentsHere's a tale to show that no obstacle is too high when it comes to career success. It's about my friend Ann, who has a really deep voice. It isn't a sexy deep voice; it sounds more like Oscar the...

0 commentsMy column was late. Not to you, but to my editor. It is surprising, really, that my column was late, because the time zone difference is in my favor. But this week I would have needed my editor to be...

0 commentsTo celebrate St. Patrick's Day, acknowledge that you’re not a leprechaun and that you have to create your own luck. Sure, luck can make or break a career, but those who make their own luck can make...

0 commentsWe finally got a dog. Sparky. His original name was Prince. But I decided you can’t have a Prince on a farm. So we changed the name. Sparky is five years old, so he was probably pretty used to the...

0 commentsWhen the Oscars run (probably overtime) on Sunday, I don't know who to root for. Back in 2003, I was rooting for Lost in Translation for best picture. Not that I have seen the other competitors, but...

0 commentsIt was one of those nights when my husband rolled over to my side of the bed. Usually this is the first step toward the grand maintenance of our fairly normal marriage. But this night was different...

0 commentsWe have been snowed in for three days.
At first it was fun. School got out early so the farm kids could get home before the roads were unpassable. ("Unpassable" gets flagged by spellcheck as a non-...

0 commentsMaybe it's time to set aside all those "know yourself" advice books and try lying to yourself about who you are:• You are a finance whiz.• You are a sales guru.• You are a brilliant writer.Any...

1 commentsAssume that everything you write via email will appear in the business section of the newspaper. Compose your messages with care and pause before you send. Ask yourself, "Does this email make me look...

0 commentsUnless you're a strategist or inventor, your ideas won't make or break your career; so don't bother reading the rest of this column.
For the rest of us, however, face the music. We are not paid to...

0 commentsFor those of you who cannot shut up about the Super Bowl, think about your impact on the workplace: A study of Harvard Business School graduates found that in 85 percent of the cases– drum roll...

0 commentsIf you want your boss to like you, give him compliments. It may sound like I'm telling you to brownnose; actually, I'm telling you to find genuine ways to compliment your boss.
I never knew how...

0 commentsFeeling stuck? Uninspired? Perhaps it's time to start your own business.
Get a good idea
Starting a business is high-risk. Most entrepreneurs fail. So minimize your risk by honestly evaluating...

0 commentsSure, jobs are scarce, but if you're lucky enough to land one, don't be afraid to negotiate your paycheck. (Once a hiring manager chooses you from what is probably the largest pool of candidates she'...

0 commentsFor all of you who are plotting to ditch your company's holiday party, forget it. You have to go.
Before I launch into a diatribe against people who ditch company parties, let me just say that I am...

0 commentsBeing a good manager requires that you perform a wide range of tasks, from delegating to coaching to planning. And sometimes it requires you to perform an unpleasant task: firing.
Letting someone go...

0 commentsI was such an introvert in college that when I got dragged to parties, I'd bring a book. A lonely existence, but the pain of having to talk to people in an unstructured environment was too much.
So I...

0 commentsEach time that I have ignored sexual harassment aimed at me, I have moved up the corporate ladder. For example, the boss who once pulled all senior management out of the company's sexual harassment...

0 commentsLet's abolish the word busy.
When you ask someone, "How have you been?" and they say, "Busy," it doesn't mean anything, and I'm sick of it.
We all have the same 24 hours to fill. The difference is...

0 commentsHey, all you college kids! It's time to get off your butts and start applying for jobs. Do not delude yourself into thinking you can wait until May. Top internships, management training programs,...